The Silence of Our Friends

 The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long and Jim Demonakos with art by Nate Powell (2012) 201 pages

This is semi-autobiographical based on events that occurred in Houston, TX in 1968. Author Mark Long's father was a television reporter who observed the pushback to SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) organizing Civil Rights protests on Texas Southern University campus. An organizer of the protests, Larry Thompson, his family, and all the African American community in the poorer Wards of Houston face regular racism from the white community. A brutal police response to a protest and a court case provide the climactic events to this conflict. Visually I really appreciate the design of the panels and speech bubbles on each page, the dramatic motion is strongly conveyed.

It's Elementary

It's Elementary by Elise Bryant, 353 pages

Mavis' daughter is one of few Black students at her elementary school, so when pushy PTA president Trisha forces Mavis into chairing the PTA's DEI committee, she's pretty sure she knows the reason why. But her first PTA meeting reveals plenty of juicy gossip, including a bone-shaking feud between Trisha and the new principal. When the new principal doesn't show up for work the next day, Mavis is convinced that Trisha's behind it, and she and the dreamy new school counselor decide to team up to investigate.

I like the general idea of this book — an overworked single mom following her suspicions about an overbearing PTA president and dealing with the casual racism of the other parents while attempting to solve a disappearance — but the author and/or editor needed to pay a bit more attention to the details, as several things came up that distracted me from the story. But it's a decent cozy mystery, and I'll probably read more if there are any sequels.

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant

 

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin  291 pp.

This memoir is exactly what the title says. Curtis Chin was one of many children in a family that ran one of the best Chinese restaurants in Detroit's old Chinatown His father was the son of Chinese immigrants. His mother was a Chinese bride who came from Hong Kong to marry at the age of 17. Curtis navigates the not always easy mix of Chinese and American cultures while growing up. Along the way he realizes he is also gay and that adds more pressure to the mix. In spite of his efforts to break free from his often stifling family, his strong connections remain through high school and college at the University of Michigan. This is a very introspective book. You won't find an abundance of action. Just a gay kid trying to navigate his life and make it to adulthood on the hard streets of Detroit, cushioned by a strong family connections and chapters named like menu items. It wasn't what I was expecting, not that I know what that was, but it served the author's purpose. 

Everfair

 Everfair by Nisi Shawl (2016) 381 pages

After finishing King Leopold's Ghost, I saw a list of steampunk books. When I was reminded that Everfair is set in the Congo in the same period of time, but with an alternative steampunk history, I had to move it up in my reading list priorities. Nisi Shawl acknowledges the inspiration she found from Adam Hochschild's history book. 

Unfortunately, the author provides a single page of historical background, which is not nearly enough. I have an advantage of being familiar with the people and events associated with this history, since I have read the above book, but I was still lost as this book jumps between time, place, and such a large cast of characters. I can only imagine the confusion of a reader that does not know something of the true history. The most clear parallel between historical person and alternative character is George Washington Williams, the black American minister who embraces African languages, and Thomas Jefferson Wilson, the black American minister character who "goes native." The author does not spend enough time setting the scene, describing the societies that the characters come from. Most chapters are quite short and deal primarily with one or two main characters. It takes awhile for these characters' storylines to interconnect. I question why the author chose to create certain main characters (the Poet) who seem to not be that significant to the story, or to the advancing events of the alternative history. Other characters (Lily and Jackie with his Fabian Society) are developed significantly only to be eliminated from the story. I wished other characters were developed more. Unfortunately, many of the African natives still have less agency than the Americans and Europeans and one Chinese engineer. I loved the steampunk aspects. The zeppelin "aircanoes," mechanical limbs for those with war wounds or those who lost hands during Leopold's rule, and arrow guns were great. Other futuristic tech was not described in a way that gave your mind a clear picture. I appreciated the alternative history with three major wars: the war against Leopold, WWI, and a civil war between the African ruler of the region reclaiming his power and all the colonists. Multiple characters are described as doing espionage work, but the story was lacking actual descriptions of intriguing spy craft. I repeatedly wanted certain chapters to continue and give me more, but they would be interrupted by four to five plodding chapters checking in on other characters. Maybe two interesting storylines would be running at a time with other characters making frustrating decisions in between. I'm glad I stuck with it, but it was not a favorite.

Concentrate: Poems

 Concentrate: Poems by Courtney Faye Taylor, 96 pages

Reflections and inflections on "concentrate", a word song, visually lyrical, too. I was nervous when I took in the first few lines, but left hopeful by its final refrain. Taylor is a master with words, and with her world. "I survived single mother daughterhood...I've earned this bodily door" she states. Highly recommended.

Recitatif

Recitatif by Toni Morrison; introduction by Zadie Smith, 82 pages

Two girls meet and live together for a few months in an orphanage before returning to their families. Over the course of their lives, their paths cross again and again. One of these girls is black, the other is white, though the reader never learns which is which.

Originally published in 1983, Recitatif is Morrison's only short story. But wow, could she pack a punch in that one story, which has such a simple premise that it's profound. It forces the reader to confront our own assumptions, as well as the way in which race plays a part in both society at large and in individual relationships. The story itself accounts for less than half of the page count mentioned above, which is why I noted the lengthy introduction by Smith. If you haven't read Recitatif before, I'd recommend flipping to the back and reading the story first, then checking out the introduction, which provides a deep analysis of the story and Morrison's writing. If you have read the story, proceed normally through the book. Either way, read the story, as it's one that simply cannot be missed. Wow.

When Ghosts Come Home

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash, 290 pages

As sheriff of a small county in North Carolina, Winston Barnes is not used to dealing with too many dead bodies, especially not those that have been murdered. Yet when he wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of a plane landing at the tiny regional airport by his house, that's exactly what he finds: a murdered Black man near his abandoned car and a crashed airplane. While he begins the investigation, Barnes must also contend with a meddling FBI team (who seem to only see Barnes as a taxi service for their specialists) and a blatantly racist (but rich and well-liked among some of the community) challenger in the rapidly approaching election.

While this sounds like the basis for a cracking good and challenging mystery novel, it's much more character driven, focusing largely on Barnes and his daughter, who has recently come to stay with him after the death of her newborn son. It's not a particularly cheerful novel, nor is it particularly action-packed. But if you're looking for a slower murder mystery with plenty of commentary on race, this might be up your alley. 

Ring Shout

 

Ring Shout / P. Djeli Clark, read by Channie Waites 185 pgs.

I started this in audio and could not figure out what I was listening to.  Someone told me to give it another try and I'm glad I did.  I'm still not sure I got all of it but I think I got most of it.  And it is pretty incredible.  The KKK exists and they also have monsters fighting on their side.  The Ku Kluxes are kind of zombie like but fast and furious.  Our protagonist hunts them and she is good at it.  The movie "Birth of a Nation" puts a spell on the population and brings out their worst.  It is 1920s Georgia and our heroine has joined a motley crew to fight the Klan.  I'm not even sure how this all fits together, but the audio book is an amazing listen...stick with it.

When No One Is Watching

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole, 352 pages

Gifford Place is a Brooklyn neighborhood with a long history of Black Americans moving in and slowly being replaced by waves of white immigrants, yuppies, or other methods of gentrification. And with a new medical research facility planned for the area, the neighborhood is once again "up and coming," as the hipster realtors have dubbed it. Longtime resident Sydney Green can't help but notice as an increasing number of her beloved neighbors rapidly sell their houses to be replaced by hipster rehabbers, and channels that frustration into a historic walking tour. She finds an unlikely ally in her new neighbor Theo (recently unemployed while his perky blonde girlfriend makes over their new house), but the two soon begin to suspect that something more nefarious may be occurring. Is it paranoia or is their fear justified?

Who knew that gentrification would make such a taut thriller? I'd only read Cole's (amazing) romance novels before, and while I knew she was good, this book blew me away. It's creepy, well-paced, and constantly makes the reader second-guess everything, right alongside the characters. A fantastic thriller and a late addition to my personal "best of 2020" list.

Oh My Stars

Oh My Stars by Lorna Landvik (2005) 389 pages

In Depression-era rural Kentucky, Violet Mathers's mother deserts her and her father when Violet is just six. Violet's father doesn't really know any emotions but anger, and thus Violet lives a dreary life, unable to find solace in others, who consider her to be ugly. At age sixteen, she finds a job at a thread factory, but a horrible accident while she is trying to fix a jammed machine causes her to lose a large part of an arm. Her anger at the world is intense, and I found it hard to continue reading in the early going. Knowing that author Lorna Landvik has never disappointed me yet, I soldiered on, as Violet takes her savings and heads to San Francisco, intending to jump off the Golden Gate bridge. On the way, the bus she's on hits a tree in a rainstorm and the passengers are brought to the small town of Pearl, North Dakota. In Pearl, Violet meets a variety of people; her life changes dramatically because of some musicians she meets. Race relations have an important role in the story.

Big Lies in a Small Town

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain, 391 pages

Art student Morgan landed herself in prison for a drunk driving accident that paralyzed a girl. She's pretty sure her artistic career is over, but then the daughter of Morgan's favorite painter shows up for a visit, bringing with her a lawyer and an offer to get Morgan out on parole. Why? The painter, Jesse Williams, stipulated in his will that Morgan, and only Morgan, be hired to restore a mural painted in 1940 by the mysterious artist Anna Dale. And it must be done in two short months.

Bouncing back and forth between Anna's story in 1940 and Morgan's story in 2018, this novel unravels a decades-old mystery, full of misdeeds and prejudice, and shows a young woman how to move forward with her life after prison. It's a quick and engrossing read.

Such a fun age

Such a fun age / Kiley Reid, read by Nicole Lewis, 310 pgs.

Emira is the beloved babysitter of Briar, a little girl she adores.  One late evening, she is summoned by her employer to take Briar out of the house after some vandalism prompts a call to the police.  That night, Emira is accused of kidnapping Briar by a security card prompted by a white woman who observes them.  After a minor confrontation, Briar's dad comes by and resolves the issue.  Briar's mom, however, it horrified and realizes she has done little to support he sitter.  She starts on a campaign of "caring" that mostly irritates Emira. In the meantime, Emira also gets a boyfriend.  A good looking white guy, he works very hard to prove how "woke" he is.  Inevitably the white employer and white love interest take center stage both convinced they know what is best for Emira.  Does this become a book about the white people?  Well, not really but I won't tell you how it ends up.  Enjoyable listening.

The Secret Lives of Bees

The Secret Lives of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (2002) 302 pages

Fourteen year old Lily Owens lives in South Carolina with her often-angry father who owns a peach farm. She is cared for by Rosaleen, one of her father's employees. It's 1964 and when Lily accompanies Rosaleen to register to vote (now that the Civil Rights Act has passed), Rosaleen ends up beaten and arrested when she returns insults of racists by pouring the contents of her snuff jug on their shoes. Lily and Rosaleen hitchhike to Tiburon, SC, a city that Lily found written on the back of a picture that used to belong to Lily's mother, who died when Lily was four. The two are taken in by three sisters who live in a bright pink house and who raise bees. In order to earn their keep, Lily learns the art of beekeeping while Rosaleen helps with the cooking. August, the oldest of the sisters, encourages Lily to tell her story, knowing that Lily lied about who she and Rosaleen were, where they were from and where they were going. Lily resists, even as she feels drawn to August. Lily's biggest secret is her guilt over her mother's death. This is a moving coming-of-age story, with relevant quotes about bees at the start of each chapter.

Armstrong and Charlie

Armstrong and Charlie by Steven Frank  298 pp.

This is one of the books selected for my Treehouse Book Club. It takes place during the 1970s shortly after the resignation of Richard Nixon. Sixth grader Armstrong LeRois has been enrolled in a busing program to take him from his neighborhood school in the Los Angeles South Central projects to a previously all-white school in wealthy Laurel Canyon. Charlie Ross will be attending that school as always even though many of his friends have been pulled from there by parents who disagree with the busing of African-American kids to the school. The boys are also dealing with their own issues at home. Charlie's older brother died recently and his mother is deeply depressed while his father is trying to hold everything together. Armstrong's dad is a Korean War veteran who lost his leg in battle and still suffers flashbacks from the war. Armstrong and Charlie engage in a lot of one-upmanship and some physical altercations before reaching a truce and ultimately becoming friends. The story also realistically covers the important adolescent issues of peer pressure and boy-girl relationships. Even though some of the 70s references will be lost on the kids reading it today, the themes are ones still apply to contemporary society.   

Invisible Man

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 599 pp.

This was the 2018 Summer Reading selection and a novel I had not read before. Christa's review gives a good synopsis of what the book is about. The unnamed protagonist is earnest in his attempts to do what is expected of him until he comes to the realization that there is no one, including himself, that he can count on to treat him honestly and fairly. While he is invisible in many ways throughout the book, the invisibility he settles on - living a reclusive, hidden life - results from his experiences and his discouragement with society. Given the subject matter, it seems odd to say I enjoyed it. Perhaps it is better to say I appreciated it. I look forward to seeing what the 2019 selection will be.

The Lions of Little Rock

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine  298 pp.

Following the forced desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas in 1957, Governor Orval Faubus ordered all the high schools in Little Rock to be closed during the 1958-9 to stop "race mixing" in the schools. This fictional account of that school year focuses on a junior high student named Marlee who is painfully shy. With the help of her new friend, Liz, Marlee begins to overcome her inability to talk to people. Then it is discovered that Liz is an African-American passing as white. In spite of parental orders, the girls continue to see each other. The political situation in town becomes heated and Marlee finds herself in the middle of the dispute, all the while coming into her own voice. This is an excellent story about the often overlooked events that followed the Little Rock Nine's entry into the school. The "n" word is used in the book a few times but always in the context of the racist members of the community and it is made clear that its use is unacceptable.

Victor LaValle's Destroyer

Victor LaValle's Destroyer by Victor LaValle, art by Dietrich Smith, 160 pages

As a brilliant scientist and descendant of Victor Frankenstein, Dr. Josephine Baker has a bit of a legacy. Fortunately for her, she's chosen to embrace her ancestor's ideas, and use nanobots to expand upon his vision of creating immortality through scientific advances. And it seems that she has, at least to a degree, succeeded where Dr. Frankenstein failed, reanimating the body of her young son. This is a powerful and wonderful graphic novel that, yes, builds on the story of Frankenstein and his monster, but uses it to shine a light on the spate of young black men who have been (and continue to be) killed by police officers. This was a truly excellent book, and I highly recommend it, particularly to those it will rankle.

The Almost Sisters

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson, 342 pages

Comic book artist Leia Birch is experiencing a bit of writer's block when it comes to the prequel to her breakout graphic novel, Violence in Violet. Good thing she has plenty of other troubles to distract her. Leia's grandmother Birchie, matriarch of Birchville, Alabama, is beset with dementia; Leia's stepsister's picture perfect marriage is imploding; and, oh yeah, Leia herself just discovered she's pregnant from a one-night-stand with a Batman cosplayer at a comic con. As Birchie's last living relative, Leia heads to Birchville to attempt to manage the stubborn old woman and her stubborn best friend, as well as the rumors flying around the small town.

Even though I've never specifically in her shoes, there is something innately relatable about Leia as she struggles with taking care of the woman who spent her life caring for Leia, as she puts off telling people about her pregnancy, as she worries about the mystery man who fathered her child, as she deals with her type-A stepsister's meddling. This was a nice read that included some good racial insights, as well as plenty of unexpected nerdy references. 

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson, 228 pages.
Powerful essays by Dyson about the invention of whiteness and about how badly this idea has hurt America. The audio, read by the author, is particularly compelling.

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates, 367 pages.

This excellent book is Coates's essays from The Atlantic magazine written during the Obama administration about the President, the First Lady, and race and race relations in America during the years 2007-2016.
Coates has a well-deserved reputation as a thoughtful writer about race and politics and he delvers here with a series of articles that track the progress of the Obama campaign and presidency, as they track Coates's growth as a writer.
An excellent book.